Online lettings firm OpenRent and Rightmove have signed a new property listings deal after several weeks of corporate brinkmanship over fees.

OpenRent is popular with landlords who want to ‘do it themselves’ and rely on the firm to find them tenants either for free or a very low price, in return supplying their own photographs, writing their own listings copy and also doing viewings themselves.

And one of the key features is that OpenRent uploads their listings to both Rightmove and Zoopla even though it charges a fraction of the price (£49) compared to traditional high street agents.

Hard-ball

But OpenRent’s contract came up for renewal this month and it appears negotiations have been hard-ball.

The standoff began several weeks ago when OpenRent removed Rightmove’s logo from its website ‘marketing options’ list accompanied by rumours that discussions between the two were getting heated.

On Tuesday Rightmove said that following a breakdown in negotiations over pricing, OpenRent was to kicked off on September 1st.

The portal, which is the largest in the UK for both sales and lettings properties, went further as it tried to reassure investors that the loss of OpenRent would not damage its business or profitability.

But in a surprise move, Rightmove has now revealed that the two sides have agreed a new deal.

“Further to the announcement on 6th August, Rightmove announces that OpenRent has entered into a new membership agreement,” it says. “Our guidance for the year remains as stated at our H1 2024 results.”

OpenRent says some 6.8 million tenants and landlords have used its service, which is either free to use at its most basic, but has paid-for ‘premium’ options.